Photos: Death toll soars in Bangladesh unrest

A BenarNews journalist witnessed Border Guard Bangladesh members shoot three youths.

Jul 19, 2024 - 17:00
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Photos: Death toll soars in Bangladesh unrest

Clashes between police and protesters escalated in Bangladesh on Friday, the second day of a “complete shutdown” declared by students demanding an end to a job quota system.

A BenarNews journalist witnessed border guards shoot three youths near his residence as protesters vandalized a government office nearby and burned its furniture in the street.

BenarNews confirmed 63 deaths on Friday and “thousands” of people injured, after contacting hospitals in the Dhaka area. Another 32 people died in street clashes earlier in the week.

Authorities suspended metro rail service and banned all gatherings and motorcycle travel in Dhaka on Friday as they struggled to regain control of the city.

The internet has been completely shut down in Bangladesh since Thursday, and mobile communications are extremely slow.

Students began protesting in early July seeking reform of a quota for government jobs favoring the families of veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 war for independence. 

The protests escalated after disparaging comments by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday, with pro-government groups, law enforcement and demonstrators fighting in the streets.

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An injured man is treated at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital as violence continues across the country tied to anti-quota protests by students, July 19, 2024. (Sultan Mahmud Mukut/Reuters)

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Protesters use a piece of sheet metal as a shield during a clash with Border Guard Bangladesh and police outside the state-owned Bangladesh Television station in Dhaka, July 19, 2024. (Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters)

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Demonstrators throw stones as they clash with police during the ongoing anti-quota protest in Dhaka, July 19, 2024. (Abu Sufian Jewel/AFP)

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Bangladesh police stand guard at the headquarters of state broadcaster Bangladesh Television station after students set it on fire one day earlier, July 19, 2024. (Munir Uz Zaman/AFP)

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People walk past vehicles burned during unrest in Dhaka, July 19, 2024. (Munir Uz Zaman/AFP)

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A burned government building is pictured on July 19, 2024, after agitators set it on fire during civil unrest in Bangladesh. (Munir Uz Zaman/AFP)

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Injured photographers sit on a rickshaw during clashes in Dhaka July 19, 2024. (AFP)

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.